ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1956 First Year 1984 Last Year 1973 Peak Year #4056 Peak Rank 49 Total Count 8 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Toronto What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on a harbour at the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the fourth-most populous city in North America, behind Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles, with a census population of 2,794,356 as of 2021. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto) 📜Etymology Main article: Name of Toronto The name Toronto has been recorded with various spellings in French and English, including Tarento , Tarontha , Taronto , Toranto , Torento , Toronto , and Toronton . The most frequent early spelling, Taronto , referred to "The Narrows", a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching where the Wendat had planted tree saplings to corral fish at what is now the Mnjikaning Fish Weirs site in Orillia . This narrows was called " tkaronto " by the Mohawk , meaning "where there are trees standing in the water", and was recorded as early as 🏛️Origin & history Main article: History of Toronto For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Toronto history . [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Toronto](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Toronto_Skyline_from_Snake_Island%2C_February_28_2026_%2808%29.jpg/330px-Toronto_Skyline_from_Snake_Island%2C_February_28_2026_%2808%29.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto) 📖 ## The Story of Toronto Toronto first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1956, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1973, when 7 Torontos were born — ranking #4,056 that year. As of 2026, Toronto ranks #6,313 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 49 Torontos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Toronto Phonetically similar names — useful when Toronto is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Trento](/trento) * Taranto * Tonto * Trenta * Treinta * Terrano * Trente * Otranto * Trato * Traunt * Trendy * [Trent](/trent) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Toronto What does the name Toronto mean? Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located on a harbour at the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The city is the fourth-most populous city in North America, behind Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles, with a census population of 2,794,356 as of 2021. How popular is Toronto in 2026? In 2026, Toronto ranks #6,313 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year. When was Toronto most popular? Toronto reached its peak popularity in 1973, ranking #4,056 that year with 7 babies given the name. Is Toronto a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Toronto is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Toronto? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Toronto include Oman, Wydell, Nicol. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👦OmanPeak #4056](/oman)[👦WydellPeak #4056](/wydell)[👦NicolPeak #4056](/nicol)[👦JubaPeak #4056](/juba)[👦DeatrickPeak #4056](/deatrick)[👦TambouraPeak #4056](/tamboura)[👦GermanePeak #4056](/germane)[👦AmondoPeak #4056](/amondo) ## About the name Toronto Toronto is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 49 births in the dataset. Toronto's peak popularity came in 1973 when it ranked #4,056\. Use the chart and map above to compare Toronto's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1973 → ](/year/1973) * [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s) * [ Names starting with "T" → ](/letter/t) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.